Olympus E-410 vs Panasonic L10

The Olympus E-410 and the Panasonic Lumix DMC- L10 are two digital cameras that were revealed to the public, respectively,
in March 2007 and August 2007. Both are DSLR (Digital Single Lens Reflex) cameras that are equipped with a Four Thirds sensor. Both cameras offer a resolution of 10 megapixels.

Below is an overview of the main specs of the two cameras as a starting point for the comparison.

Going beyond this snapshot of core features and characteristics, what are the differences between the Olympus E-410 and the
Panasonic Lumix DMC- L10? Which one should you buy? Read on to find out how these two cameras compare with respect to their body size, their imaging sensors, their shooting features, their input-output connections, and their reception by expert reviewers.

Body comparison

The physical size and weight of the Olympus E-410 and the Panasonic L10 are illustrated in the side-by-side display below. The two cameras are presented according to their relative size. Three successive views from the front, the top, and the rear are shown. All width, height and depth measures are rounded to the nearest millimeter.

If the front view area (width x height) of the cameras is taken as an aggregate measure of their size,
the Panasonic L10 is notably larger (10 percent) than the Olympus E-410. Moreover, the L10 is markedly heavier (28 percent) than the E-410. In this context, it is worth noting that neither the E-410 nor the L10 are weather-sealed.

The above size and weight comparisons are to some extent incomplete since they do not consider the interchangeable lenses
that both of these cameras require. In this particular case, both cameras feature the same lens mount, so that they can use the same lenses.
You can compare the optics available in the Four Thirds Lens Catalog.

The adjacent table lists the principal physical characteristics of the two cameras alongside a wider set of alternatives. If you would like to visualize and compare a different camera combination, just use the right or left
arrows in the table to switch to the respective camera. Alternatively, you can also navigate to the CAM-parator app and
make your selection from the full list of cameras there.

Note: Measurements and pricing do not include easily detachable parts, such as interchangeable lenses or optional viewfinders.

The price is, of course, an important factor in any camera decision. The retail prices at the time of the camera’s release place the model in the market relative to other models in the producer’s line-up and the competition. The L10 was launched at a somewhat lower price (by 14 percent) than the E-410, which makes it more attractive for photographers on a tight budget. Normally, street prices remain initially close to the MSRP, but after a couple of months, the first discounts appear. Later in the product cycle and, in particular, when the replacement model is about to appear, further discounting and stock clearance sales often push the camera price considerably down.

Sensor comparison

The imaging sensor is at the core of digital cameras and its size is one of the main determining factors of image quality. A large sensor will tend to have larger individual pixels that provide better low-light sensitivity, wider dynamic range, and richer color-depth than smaller pixel-units in a sensor of the same technological generation. Furthermore, a large sensor camera will give the photographer more possibilities to use shallow depth-of-field in order to isolate a subject from the background. On the downside, larger sensors tend to be more expensive and lead to bigger and heavier cameras and lenses.

Both cameras under consideration feature a Four Thirds sensor and have a format factor
(sometimes also referred to as "crop factor") of 2.0. Within the spectrum of camera sensors, this places the review cameras among the medium-sized sensor cameras
that aim to strike a balance between image quality and portability. Both cameras feature a native aspect ratio (sensor width to sensor height) of 4:3.

In terms of underlying technology, both cameras are build around CMOS sensors.

The two cameras under review do not only share the same sensor size, but also offer an identical resolution of 10 megapixels.
This similarity in sensor specs implies that both the E-410 and the L10 have the same pixel density, as well as the same pixel size. It should, however, be noted that the L10 is a somewhat more recent model (by 5 months) than the E-410, and its sensor
might have benefitted from technological advances during this time.

The Olympus E-410 has a native sensitivity range from ISO 100 to ISO 1600.
The Panasonic Lumix DMC- L10 offers exactly the same ISO settings.

Since 2007, DXO Mark has published sensor performance measurements that have been derived using a consistent methodology. This service assesses and scores the color depth ("DXO Portrait"), dynamic range ("DXO Landscape"), and low-light sensitivity ("DXO Sports") of camera sensors, and also publishes an overall camera score. Of the two cameras under consideration, the L10 has a markedly higher DXO score than the E-410 (overall score 4 points higher), which will translate into better image quality. The advantage is based on 0.2 bits higher color depth, 0.8 EV in additional dynamic range, and 0.2 stops of reduced low light sensitivity. The adjacent table reports on the physical sensor characteristics and the outcomes of the DXO sensor quality tests for a sample of comparator-cameras.

Sensor Characteristics

Camera Model

Sensor Class

Resolution (MP)

Horiz. Pixels

Vert. Pixels

Video Format

DXO Portrait

DXO Landscape

DXO Sports

DXO Overall

Camera Model

Olympus E-410

Four Thirds

10.0

3648

2736

none

21.1

10.0

494

51

Olympus E-410

Panasonic L10

Four Thirds

10.0

3648

2736

none

21.3

10.8

429

55

Panasonic L10

Canon XSi

APS-C

12.2

4272

2848

none

21.9

10.8

692

61

Canon XSi

Olympus E-P3

Four Thirds

12.2

4032

3024

1080/60i

20.8

10.1

536

51

Olympus E-P3

Olympus E-450

Four Thirds

10.0

3648

2736

none

21.5

10.5

512

56

Olympus E-450

Olympus E-620

Four Thirds

12.2

4032

3024

none

21.3

10.3

536

55

Olympus E-620

Olympus E-420

Four Thirds

10.0

3648

2736

none

21.5

10.4

527

56

Olympus E-420

Olympus E-520

Four Thirds

10.0

3648

2736

none

21.4

10.4

548

55

Olympus E-520

Olympus E-510

Four Thirds

10.0

3648

2736

none

21.2

10.0

442

52

Olympus E-510

Olympus E-400

Four Thirds

10.0

3648

2736

none

..

..

..

..

Olympus E-400

Panasonic G10

Four Thirds

12.0

4000

3000

720/30p

21.2

10.1

411

52

Panasonic G10

Panasonic G1

Four Thirds

12.0

4000

3000

none

21.1

10.3

463

53

Panasonic G1

Panasonic L1

Four Thirds

7.4

3136

2352

none

..

..

..

..

Panasonic L1

Both the E-410 and the L10 offer Live View, so that they make it possible to use the rear screen for framing.
Both cameras are still-image focused and cannot record videos.

Feature comparison

Beyond body and sensor, cameras can and do differ across a range of features. The E-410 and the L10 are similar in the sense that both have an optical viewfinder.
The latter is useful for getting a clear image for framing even in brightly lit environments. The viewfinders of both cameras offer the same field of view (95%), as well as
the same magnification (0.46x). The table below summarizes some of the other core capabilities of the Olympus E-410 and Panasonic L10 in connection with corresponding information for a sample of similar cameras.

Core Features

Camera Model

Viewfinder (Type or '000 dots)

Control Panel (yes/no)

LCD Size (inch)

LCD Resolution ('000 dots)

LCD Attach- ment

Touch Screen (yes/no)

Mech Shutter Speed

Shutter Flaps (1/sec)

Built-in Flash (yes/no)

Built-in Image Stab

Camera Model

Olympus E-410

optical

n

2.5

215

fixed

n

1/4000s

3.0

Y

n

Olympus E-410

Panasonic L10

optical

n

2.5

207

swivel

n

1/4000s

3.0

Y

n

Panasonic L10

Canon XSi

optical

n

3.0

230

fixed

n

1/4000s

3.5

Y

n

Canon XSi

Olympus E-P3

optional

n

3.0

614

fixed

Y

1/4000s

3.0

Y

Y

Olympus E-P3

Olympus E-450

optical

n

2.7

215

fixed

n

1/4000s

3.5

Y

n

Olympus E-450

Olympus E-620

optical

n

2.7

230

swivel

n

1/4000s

4.0

Y

Y

Olympus E-620

Olympus E-420

optical

n

2.7

215

fixed

n

1/4000s

3.5

Y

n

Olympus E-420

Olympus E-520

optical

n

2.7

215

fixed

n

1/4000s

3.5

Y

Y

Olympus E-520

Olympus E-510

optical

n

2.5

215

fixed

n

1/4000s

3.0

Y

Y

Olympus E-510

Olympus E-400

optical

n

2.5

215

fixed

n

1/4000s

3.0

Y

n

Olympus E-400

Panasonic G10

202

n

3.0

460

fixed

n

1/4000s

2.6

Y

n

Panasonic G10

Panasonic G1

1440

n

3.0

460

swivel

n

1/4000s

3.0

Y

n

Panasonic G1

Panasonic L1

optical

n

2.5

207

fixed

n

1/4000s

3.0

Y

n

Panasonic L1

The L10 has an articulated screen that can be turned to be front-facing. This characteristic will be appreciated by
vloggers and photographers who are interested in taking selfies. In contrast, the E-410 does not have a selfie-screen.

The E-410 writes its imaging data to Compact Flash or xD Picture cards, while the L10 uses SDHC cards. The E-410 features dual card slots, which can be very useful in case a memory card fails. In contrast, the L10
only has one slot.

Connectivity comparison

For some imaging applications, the extent to which a camera can communicate with its environment can be an important aspect in the camera decision process. The table below provides an overview of the connectivity of the Olympus E-410 and Panasonic Lumix DMC- L10 and, in particular, the interfaces the cameras (and selected comparators) provide for accessory control and data transfer.

Input-Output Connections

Camera Model

Hotshoe Port

Internal Microphone

Internal Speaker

Microphone Port

Headphone Port

HDMI Port

USB Port

WiFi Support

NFC Support

Bluetooth Support

Camera Model

Olympus E-410

Y

none

none

-

-

none

2.0

-

-

-

Olympus E-410

Panasonic L10

Y

none

none

-

-

none

2.0

-

-

-

Panasonic L10

Canon XSi

Y

none

none

-

-

mini

2.0

-

-

-

Canon XSi

Olympus E-P3

Y

stereo

none

-

-

mini

2.0

-

-

-

Olympus E-P3

Olympus E-450

Y

none

none

-

-

none

2.0

-

-

-

Olympus E-450

Olympus E-620

Y

none

none

-

-

none

2.0

-

-

-

Olympus E-620

Olympus E-420

Y

none

none

-

-

none

2.0

-

-

-

Olympus E-420

Olympus E-520

Y

none

none

-

-

none

2.0

-

-

-

Olympus E-520

Olympus E-510

Y

none

none

-

-

none

2.0

-

-

-

Olympus E-510

Olympus E-400

Y

none

none

-

-

none

2.0

-

-

-

Olympus E-400

Panasonic G10

Y

mono

none

-

-

mini

2.0

-

-

-

Panasonic G10

Panasonic G1

Y

none

none

-

-

mini

2.0

-

-

-

Panasonic G1

Panasonic L1

Y

none

none

-

-

none

2.0

-

-

-

Panasonic L1

Both the E-410 and the L10 have been discontinued, but can regularly be found used
on eBay. The E-410 was replaced by the Olympus E-420, while the L10 does not have a direct successor. Further information on the two cameras (e.g. user guides, manuals), as well as related accessories, can be found on the official
Olympus and Panasonic websites.

Review summary

So what conclusions can be drawn? Is the Olympus E-410 better than the Panasonic L10 or vice versa? Below is a summary of the relative strengths of each of the two contestants.

Reasons to prefer the Olympus E-410:

Less heavy: Is lighter (by 121g or 22 percent) and hence easier to carry around.

Longer lasting: Can take more shots (500 versus 450) on a single battery charge.

Greater peace of mind: Features a second card slot as a backup in case of memory card failure.

More heavily discounted: Has been on the market for longer (launched in March 2007).

Advantages of the Panasonic Lumix DMC- L10:

More flexible LCD: Has a swivel screen for odd-angle shots in portrait or landscape orientation.

More selfie-friendly: Has an articulated screen that can be turned to be front-facing.

More affordable: Was released into a lower priced segment (14 percent cheaper at launch).

More modern: Was introduced somewhat (5 months) more recently.

If the count of individual advantages (bullet points above) is taken as a guide, the L10 emerges as the winner of the match-up (6 : 4 points). However, the relevance of individual strengths will vary across photographers, so that you might want to apply your own weighing scheme to the summary points when reflecting and deciding on a new camera. A professional wildlife photographer will view the differences between cameras in a way that diverges
from the perspective of a family photog, and a person interested in architecture has distinct needs from a sports shooter. Hence, the decision which camera
is best and worth buying is often a very personal one.

E-410 04:06 L10

How about other alternatives? Do the specifications of the Olympus E-410 and the Panasonic L10 place the cameras among the top in their class? Find out in the latest
Best DSLR Camera listing whether the two cameras rank among the cream of the crop.

In any case, while the comparison of the spec-sheets of cameras can offer a general idea of their imaging potential, it remains partial and cannot reveal, for example, the shooting experience and imaging performance when actually working with the E-410 or the L10. At times, user reviews, such as those published at amazon, address these issues in a useful manner, but such feedback is on many occasions incomplete, inconsistent, and unreliable.

Expert reviews

This is why hands-on reviews by experts are important. The table below provides a synthesis of the camera assessments of some of the best known photo-gear review sites (cameralabs, dpreview, ephotozine, imaging-resource, and photographyblog). As can be seen, the professional reviewers agree in many cases on the quality of different cameras, but sometimes their assessments diverge,
reinforcing the earlier point that a camera decision is often a very personal choice.

The above review scores should be interpreted with care, though. The ratings are only valid when referring to cameras in the same category and of the same age. Hence, a score should always be seen in the context of the camera's market launch date and its price, and rating-comparisons among cameras that span long time periods or concern very differently equipped models make little sense. It should also be noted that some of the review sites have over time altered the way they render their verdicts.

Other camera comparisons

Did this review help to inform your camera decision process? If you would like to see a different side-by-side camera review, just make a corresponding selection in the search boxes below. As an alternative, you can also directly jump to any one of the listed comparisons that were previously generated by the CAM-parator tool.